Solution assisted laser ablation synthesis of discrete aluminum nanoparticles

Discrete aluminum nanoparticles with an average particle size of 21 nm have been prepared by laser ablation of a metallic aluminum target submerged in dry tetrahydrofuran in the presence of 0.001 M oleic acid as a stabilizing ligand. The particles display high solubility and minimal aggregation while the absence of oleic acid leads to highly aggregated particles and a broader particle size distribution. O/Al ratios obtained from EDS analysis suggest that the particles produced are primarily metallic aluminum with minimal oxide content.